Diwali Diwali is a five‑day
Hindu festival of lights marking the victory of light over darkness, or good over evil. As per the
amanta tradition, the first four days of Diwali is celebrated in the previous month of
Ashvin, and fifth day is celebrated on the
Prathama (first lunar day)
thithi of the Kartika month as
Balipratipada and
Govardhan Puja or
Annakut. As per the
purnimanta tradition, Diwali is celebrated in the month of Kartik. Pre-Diwali festivities start with
Govatsa Dwadashi on the
Dwadashi (twelfth lunar day)
thithi, and is followed by
Dhanteras (Kartika 13),
Naraka Chaturdasi (Kartika 14),
Kali Puja and
Lakshmi Puja (Kartika 15), Balipratipada and Govardhan Puja (Kartika 16), and
Bhai Dooj (Kartika 17) on consecutive days.
Nag Nathaiya Nag Nathaiya is celebrated on
Chaturthi (fourth tithi) of Shukla Paksha, and commemorates god
Krishna's victory over the serpent
Kaliya in the
Yamuna River. The festival symbolises the victory of good over evil, and devotees gather at
Varanasi to celebrate the same.
Prabodhini Ekadashi Prabodhini Ekadashi is observed on the
Ekadashi (eleventh lunar day) thithi of
Shukla paksha (
waning moon). The festival commemorates the awakening of god
Vishnu at the end of Chaturmāsya, a four-month period of rest and is considered an auspicious day for starting new ventures. People do
fasting and offer
sugercane to god on the day.
Purnima lit during
Karthika Deepam The
Purnima (
full moon day) of the month is celebrated as various festivals across the
Indian subcontinent.
Kartik Purnima is celebrated as Dev Deepavali by Hindus in parts of India, and involves fairs, pilgrimages, lamp-lighting and ritual bathing in sacred rivers. The
Ayyappan garland festival is celebrated in
Sabarimala on the day known as Tripuri Purnima.
Karthika Deepam is a festival of lights observed mainly by
Hindu Tamils. The festival is celebrated on the full moon day of the month coinciding with the
Kṛttikā nakshatra. The festival is dedicated to god
Kartikeya and is commemorated by lighting
deepams outside and inside the homes. On the Purnima day,
Jains commemorate the achievement of
nirvana by the
Tirthankara Mahavira, and the
Sikhs celebrate
Guru Nanak Jayanti, the birthday of Sikh guru
Guru Nanak.
Sohrai Sohrai is a
harvest festival celebrated by tribal communities in
Jharkhand and
West Bengal. Observed on Amavasya (new moon day), it honours cattle, agricultural land and includes paying tribute to the ancestors, and community feasting. Homes are cleaned and decorated, livestock bathed and offered special meals, and the walls of houses are adorned with Sohrai art.
Others Jalaram Jayanti is a religious commemoration which celebrates the birth anniversary of Jalaram Bapu (1799-1881 CE), who lived in
Gujarat. The festival involves prayers, singing, and distribution of food. The second thithi
Dwitiya of the month's bright fortnight is celebrated as Bhaatri Dwitiya. During the festival, sisters entertain their brothers, following the legend of
Yamuna, who entertained her brother
Yama on the same day. ==See also==